James Lindel Harris

JAMES LINDEL HARRIS (1916 ~ 1944). Medal of Honor recipient James L. Harris was born in Hillsboro, Texas, in 1916. He attended high school through the tenth grade and was drafted into the Army in 1941.

Harris was assigned to the 756th Tank Battalion and trained at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Fort Lewis, Washington, Fort Ord, California, and Camp Pickett, Virginia. Harris fought with his battalion across North Africa before entering the campaign in southern Italy. On March 26, 1944, near Cassino, Italy, Harris earned a field promotion to Second Lieutenant.

When his unit was near Vagney, France, on the night of October 7, 1944, two German platoons and a tank attacked a nearby American infantry command post. Harris, leading his tank on foot, pursued the enemy patrol. Mortally wounded by a sudden enemy machine gun blast, Harris crawled back to his tank but found himself too weak to climb inside. He issued firing orders while lying in the road, between the two tanks.

Harris's stand against the enemy provided enough time for more Allied tanks to arrive, preventing the enemy from capturing the Army field command post and its staff. During the course of the tank duel, Harris's tank was destroyed and his leg severed, but he refused to by evacuated until a wounded crew member was attended to first. He died of his injuries before he could be treated.

Harris was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was buried in Vagney, France, but was disinterred in 1951 and reburied at Ridge Park Cemetery in Hillsboro, Texas.

Bibliography: "Above and Beyond: The Medal of Honor in Texas," Capitol Visitors Center, State Preservation Board of Texas. Dallas Times Herald: June 11, 1976. The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association, University of Texas, http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/HH/fhawb.html, September 26, 2005.